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(No Model.) I ZSheets-Sheet 1. L. RHRLIOH.

PORTABLE. TRANSFER TRACK. No. 270,405. Patented Jan. 9,1883.

ATTORNEYS.

- N. PKTERS. Pholn-Lnhogmpher. Willingian. n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. EHRLICH.

PORTABLE TRANSFER TRACK. I No. 270,405. Patented Jan. 9,1883.

ATTORNEYS N. PETERS PhMo-Ulhegnphel. Washinglcn. D. c,

I PATENT Trice.

LEO EHRLIOH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PORTABLE TRANSFER -TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,405, dated January 9, 1883.

Application filed August 11, 188:2. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO EHRLICH, of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Impiovementin Portable Transfer- Tracks; and I do hereby'declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of my portable transfer-track applied to a double-track street-railway. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the transfer-tracks, taken on line a0 x of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrow 1, and showing in dotted lines the position of the car on the transfer-platforms; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the transfer-tracks, taken on line y y of Fig. 1, showing in full lines the position of a car on the transfer-plattormsin line with one pair of street-rails, and in dotted lines i ts transferred position in lines parallel with the other street-track.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for enabling a car to skirt or pass around any obstruction on the road without the necessity ot'jumping the track, and without the embarrassing and otherwise unavoidable delay involved in the removal of said obstruction.

My invention is designed more particularly for street-cars, whose travel is frequently arrested by the breaking down of heavy vehicles on the track and other causes; but it has also value upon steam-railways in transferring cars from one track to another, or from a track to a siding without the necessity of running to a switch, which may be some miles distant.

M y invention consists preferably of three elements: first, a pair ot'skid-rails that rest above the rails of each track, and have an incline at each end running into the plane of the tracks; secondly, a pair of transfer-rails arranged in seats in the skid-rails and running transversely from one track to the other; and, thirdly, a pair of truck-frames, platforms, or carriages running upon the transverse rails, and adapted to receive the wheels of the car when run upon the skid-rails and transport the car laterally to the other track. which is similarly equipped with tapered skid-rails, or to a supplemental track when the track is not double, by which way. B B and B B are the skid-rails, whichrest directly above and parallel with the longitndinal rails of said tracks, being held there upon by any suitable clamp, seats, claws, lugs, or other well-known expedients to prevent displacement. These skid rails have their ends tapered, and they incline from the upper surface of the rails to the upper parallel portion of the skid-rails, which are elevated abovethe main rail a distance equal to their thickness. In these skid-rails are formed seats, a, Fig. 2, which receive a pair of transverse tracks, 0 O, 0 C. These tracks are each composed of two rails coupled together by cross-ties D D, and their rails are preferably faced with steel. Upon these tracks are plattorincarriages E E, which have on their lower side wheels or rollers that rest upon the tracks C G, and have also short rail-sections b b, which form supports for the wheels of the cars. Now, when an obstruction is met with on main track A the skidrails are placed upon the tracks, the transfer rails placed transversely on the skid-rails in the seats formed therein, and the platformcarriages E are adjusted with their short railsections 1) 1) directly in line with the rails of main track A. The team is then made to pull the car up on the skid-rails, as in Fig. 2, and onto the platform-carriages, with the wheels of the car resting upon the supports b b. The car is then pushed laterally, and the platform-carriages are made to travel on the transfer-rails G 0 until the wheels ofthe car are directly in line with the rails of the other track, A, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3. The car is then run off the skid-rails onto this main track until it has passed the obstruction; and these skid-rails and transfer-track, with their platform-carriages, are then readjusted to a position farther along the 'lrack, and the car returned. to the first track-in substantially the same manner. If the track should he a single one, then there will be no other permanent IOO track upon which the car can be run past the obstruction, and in this case a supplemental track will be laid parallel with the main track and in line with the second set of skid-rails. These supplemental tracks, as well as the skidrails, transfer-tracks, and platform'carriages, are designed to form a part of the equipment of every car and are always carried thereby, being stowed underneath the seat or in other suitable out-of-the-way place. They may also be made of wood or iron, as desired. As each car will carry an apparatus adapted to its wheels, no other adjustment than that described will be necessary; but when there is but one set of apparatus for many cars provision should be made for-variation in the distance between the front and rear wheels of the car, and for this purpose the skid-rails are to be made with an extensible joint between the seats a a, so that the distance between the transfer-tracks may be increased or diminished to suit the distance between the wheels of the car.

In transferring steam-cars from one track to another it may not be possible to move the same laterally, even with crow-bars, especially ifthey are loaded, and to meet this contingency jackscrews may be placed under the skid-rails or transfer-rails and the latter raised until they stand at' a slight incline, when the car will readily move downgrade to the other track.

In making use of my invention I do not confine myselfto the particular construction of skid-rails, nor to the particular construction of the transfer-track in pairs of rails, nor to the particular form of platform-carriages, as the latter maybe made in the nature of trucks, or they may be simple platforms and run upon rollersjonriialed in the transfer-tracks. I may also dispense entirely with the carriages or platforms as a separate element, and also the skid-rails, and connect directly to the car a set of .wheels arranged in planes at right angles to the main wheels, and provided with means for throwing them down upon a transverse track and bear against the same so as to raise the car from the main track, in which case these adjustable wheels take the place of the platform or transfer trucks in carrying the car to the other track on the transfer-rails.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new is-- An apparatus for transferring a car laterally from one track to another, consisting of a pair of skid-rails for each track having tapered or inclined ends, a set of transfer-rails spanning the two sets of skid-rails, and movable platform-carriages or truck-fra mes adapted to travel upon the transfer-rails and support and transfer the car, substantially as shown and described.

LEO EI-IRLICH.

\Vitnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, SoLoN 0. Ramos. 

